Constant portion liquid dispenser



July 5, 1960 J. J. MOROLlN CONSTANT PORTION LIQUID DISPENSER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 30, 1959 J. J- MORO-LIN NS'I'ANT PORTIONLIQUID DISPENSER July 5, 1960 2 ShQBtSPShBet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1959 xmzgUnited States Patent CONSTANT PORTION LIQUID DISPENSER Joseph J.Moro-Lin, 12-94 Plaza Road, Fair Lawn, NJ.

Filed Jan. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 790,284

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-207) This invention relates to a squeeze dispenserfor liquid foods, detergents, medicines, sauces, and the like whichmakes possible the discharge therefrom of a constant predeterminedportion of the liquid contents from said container. More specifically,it deals with an inner measuring cup connected to a separate dischargetube leading to outside of the squeeze container, and a float valvedisposed within said cup.

Dispensers have been disclosed in the art for controlled discharge ofliquids. Although some of them have claimed to deliver a predeterminedamount of contents to the outside of the container, none of them couldbe considered as truly capable of delivering a constant predeterminedportion of contents. They have also been found to possess otherdisadvantages militat-ing against their widespread commercial use, aswill become apparent from the subsequent discussion herein.

The present invention provides a container structure involving an innermeasuring cup, a float vallve disposed in said cup, and a discharge tubeleading from said cup to the outside of the container. Other featuresinclude a removable container bottom for refill, and other features tobe mentioned in the discussion herein.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is depicted.Figure 1 illustrates a crosssectional side view of a dispenser of thepresent invention, while Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken nearthe bottom of the dispenser shown in Figure 1, along II- II thereof.Figures 3 and 4 are schematic side views of the measuring cup in saiddispenser illustrating the action of the float when the dispenser isreversed in position. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in thevarious figures.

Referring again to the drawings, numeral 1 represents the flexible sidewall of a squeeze container having a top 3 and bottom 2 attachable tothe sides by screw means 5. Passing through hole 13 in top 3 is rigiddischarge tube terminating in exteriorly disposed tip 11 through whichliquid contents 16 may be dispensed. The other end 9 of tube 10 isconnected to funnel-shaped measuring cup 8, the volume of which is to bedispensed. The upper edge of cup 8 is provided with radial fins 6 towhich is attached circular guide flange 7 which aids in positioning cup8 centrally in the container. Vertically projecting ring 7 serves as aguide to hold bottom cap 2 a fixed distance away from the edge of cup 8and permit liquid 16 to flow, as shown by the arrows, into cup 8'.

Within cup 8 is a lioatable ball valve 12 which is lighter "ice than theliquid 16 held in the container, so that when the container is placed inthe position shown in Figure 1, ball 12 will rise as the liquid fillscup 8 and will then seal cup 8 at a sealing edge 19, so that no furtherliquid will enter and fill up tube .10.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, when cup 8 is inverted (as in Fig. 3), theball 12 will float to the upper position. Vacuum created by loss ofliquid volume in cup 8 will prevent the contents from running intodischarge tube 10. Squeezing of side 1 of the container will empty cup8. However, when cup 8 is in the position shown in Fig. 4 (or Fig. 1),ball 12 will rise as liquid fills cup 8 until it seals at 19 against theinner wall of cup 3 and prevents liquid from filling tube 10. In thismanner, a constant volume of liquid is dispensed from tip 11, regardlessof the amount of liquid stored in the container. It is apparent that ifball 12 was not present in cup 8, the liquid would fill cup 8 and thenrise in tube 10 to a height depending on the height of liquid in thecontainer. This means that the volume dispensed out of cup 8 would depend upon the volume of liquid present in the container. Suchirregularity in volume is eliminated by ball 12.

Juncture 13 between tube 10 and top 3 may be cemented air tight, inwhich case cap 2 is removed for filling the container by pouring liquid16 through spaces 20 between fins 6. However, juncture 13 may be asea-Might friction joint, in which case circular flange guide 7 may becemented or otherwise aflixed to the inner surface of cap 2 so that thecup 8 and tube 10 are removed at the same time when cap 2 is unscrewed.Then,- the container may be filled with liquid while holding hole 13blocked with the finger or other means, until cap 2 is screwed on again.l

"Although tip 11 is shown as protruding from the top of the container,it may similarly be directed through the side thereof, if desired.

I claim:

1. A constant portion liquid dispenser comprising a squeeze containerhaving a flexible side wall, a top and a bottom attached to said wall, afunnel-shaped measuring cup having a wide diameter end and a narrowdiameter end and having a predetermined volume of the portion to bedispensed and having its wide diameter end disposed adjacent saidbottom, a ball valve disposed in said cup and of density less than saidliquid and designed to seal against the narrow diameter end of said cup,and a rigid tube having one end attached to the narrow diameter end ofsaid cup and its other end protruding in sealing relation through thecontainer, in a manner such that when the container is set on itsbottom, the liquid from the container rises in and fills the cup and theball seals the cup against further rise of liquid, and, when thecontainer is inverted and the side squeezed, the contents of the cup aredischarged as the ball rises through the liquid.

2. A constant portion liquid dispenser according to claim 1 in whichsaid tube protrudes through the top of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

